Drawer suspension



ct. m 1945. c. w. STRAUBEL DRAWER SUSPENSION Filed Sept: 30, 1942 3Sheets-Sheet l Get. 16, 1%. c. w. STRAUBEL DRAWER SUSPENSION Filed Sept.50, 1942 3 SheetsSheet 2 Oct. 116, 1945. c. w. STRAUBEL DRAWERSUSPENSION I File'd Sept. 30, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Emma $011 L) e 1 Q.y w w W wlvx, Q, 8 U g MU w 9 UQ\ m 9Q T @Q 1% S &\ @2 xx Patented Oct.16, 1945 DRAWER SUSPENSION Clarence W. Straubel, Youngstown, Ohio,assignor to The General Fireproofing Company, Youngstown, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application September 30, 1942, Serial No. 460,309

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved mounting for the drawers of filingcabinets, and more particularly to a novel suspension for drawers ofvertical filing cabinets.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel suspensioncarriage which moves progressively slower than the drawer as the latteris pulled out of the cabinet thereby to fully and adequately support orsustain the weight of the drawer and its contents when the latter ismoved completely out of the cabinet. In that connection, one of thefeatures of the invention resides in providing a case channel, or itsequivalent, and a novel sliding suspension including opposite suspensionmembers each carrying a plurality of pairs of loose or free travellingrollers and a plurality of pairs of relatively fixed rollers mounted onnon-fixed pinion bearings. It will thus be apparent that the suspensioncontains all of the rollers both travelling and relatively fixed whilethe case channel and drawer runner have no rollers but merely serve asguides for the suspension members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drawer suspension whosestructural features and characteristics lend themselves to embodiment ineither-metal, plastic, glass, wood or other material, composition orcombination structures, thereby increasing the range of application ofthe invention .to different types and forms of vertical file cabinets.

A further object is to provide a construction which lends itself toembodiment in a cradle type suspension, that is the type wherein theindividual suspension members are connected by transverse ties or crossmembers.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction. combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described and claimed.

A preferredand practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the improved suspension asapplied to metal cabinet construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the improvements embodied inwood or other nonmetallic cabinet construction.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the suspension members shown in Fig.I mounted in acabinet.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the construction shownin Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the front end of the construction shown inFig. 4, illustrating a complete case channel, suspension member, anddrawer runner in assembled operative relation.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 1'I of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, thesame includes in its organization, a vertical filing cabinet or case Aintended to receive a plurality of sliding drawers B. At each drawerlocation the cabinet is provided interiorly with opposite case channelsC. These channels receive the progressive suspension designatedgenerally as D and which cooperates with runners E on opposite sides ofthe drawer to support the drawer in its sliding movements into and outof the cabinet. In connection with the case channels C, it will beunderstood that each may be formed as a unit and aflixed to theinner'side of the cabinet, or, on the other hand, the said inner side ofthe cabinet may be used as the base or bottom of the channel by afiixingthe upper and lower flange or track portions in proper spaced relationdirect to the cabinet side Wall as shown in Fig. 2. In other words,where the type of manufacturing procedure makes it desirable, thechannels may be made up as preformed units, or alternatively the rollertracks may be secured directly to the cabinet walls beforev or afterthey are assembled in cabinet form.

Referring to the structural features of the case channel members C inFig. 1, wherein metal construction is shown, it will be observed thateach of the same includes a body or web I having the upper flange 2 andthe lower flange 3, the front end being open while the rear end issubstantially closed by the laterally offset stop or abutment member 4.In accordance with the usual practice, these stop members may beprovided with felt or equivalent facing-s la for partially absorbingshock and deadening noise incident to the carriage abutting therewith atthe end of its inward movement. The inwardly offset flanges 2 and 3 ofthe channel members may each be provided with marginal angularlydisposed lip portions extending or projecting downwardly, that is in thesame direction, with the result that the lip 2a of the upper flangecooperates with the web I to provide a'roller guiding channel while, inthe example shown, the lip 31! of the lower flange serves as areinforcement for sustaining the rolling load imposed on the uppersurface of the flange 3.

The drawer runners E each preferably consists of a vertical body portionwith lower and upper flanges Ii and I offset in opposite directions.Each runner has its body 5 secured to the side wall of the drawer B andmay have the lower flange 6 engaging the bottom of the drawer while theflange 1 projects outwardly and is adapted. to be engaged by theperipheries of the rollers presently to be described in connection withthe elements of the suspensionD (Fig. 4)

The said suspension D includes in its organization, the oppositeindividual suspension members or arms 11 each having a substantiallyvertical wall I and the lower and upper inwardly offset flanges 9 andIll. The flanges 9 and III of each arm d are provided with thesubstantially right angularly disposed lip portions 9a and Illarespectively which extend upwardly and therefore in the same direction.The opposite suspension members d are connected by the transverse tiesor straps II and I2 to unite the suspension members and thus form thecarriage or suspension D. As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the tie orstrap II is disposed in a horizontal plane at the front of the carriagewhile the tie or strap I2 is disposed vertically at the rear end of thecarriage.

The suspension members (I are each provided with the forward,intermediate, and rear drawer supporting travelling rollers I3, I4 andI5, which, as compared with sets of relatively fixed yet free rollingand vertically movable rollers I6I I, later described, are of smallerdiameter. Each roller I3 of the forward pair is provided with retainingstud I M operating in a slot I3b, or its equivalent, of a retainer plateI3 c carried by the related arm d. At their bottoms these rollers engagethe bottom flange 9 of the arm d. Each roller I4 is in turn limited inits travelling movement by a bottom slotted or equivalent guide Ilacarried by the inner face of the side wall 8 of the related arm belowthe upper flange III, and each roller I5 is limited in its travellingmovement by a top slotted uide or cage I 5:: carried by the upper faceof the flange III. The rollers I l and I5 are provided respectively withthe axial studs or projections Ill) and I5b and the guides Ila, I5a areformed with lips I4, I5, respectively, with which said projectionscooperate to retain the rollers I4, I5 in their guides or cages so thatthey. will not become accidentally displaced. The guides or retainersIla and I5a are located respectively below and above the top flanges IIIof the arms d of the suspension D and both pairs of said rollers aredisposed at higher elevations than the forward pair of rollers I3. Thepurpose of this arrangement is to enable the upper peripheries of therollers I3 on one hand, and the bottom peripheries of the rollers It onthe other hand, to engage the lower and upper faces respectively of theupper flange I of the runner E, and, moreover, to enable the upperperipheries of the rollers I5 of the rear pair to engage the bottomfaces of the upper flanges 2 of the case channels.

The inner faces of the webs 8 of the suspension members also carry andhouse pairs of feeding rollers I5 and I! which are of larger diameterthan the rollers I3, l4, I5 and are relatively fixed in a horizontaldirection in the sense that they do not travel although their studs Iliaand Ila are mounted to move in vertical slots Itb in the side wall Iwhile their peripheries project through the slots I5c and Ilc of thelower flange I of the suspension member thereby to slidably support theentire suspension in travelling engagement with the upper face of thelower flange I of the case channel C.

The bottom flanges l of the suspension members 8 are provided with stopor abutment members I8 which are adapted to engage with the horizontalcross members A'- of the frame so as to limit the outward movement ofthe entire suspension D. Likewise, the front ends of the lips Ila of theupper flange I 0 of the suspension members are provided with upwardlyprojecting stops or abutments I9 adapted to engage with a drawer carriedabutment III which will prevent the drawer from being moved too faroutwardly with respect to the suspension. Yet, by manually lifting thedrawer at the front, the drawer is easily removable from the suspension.

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 1 is as follows:

Assuming that the drawer B is closed, that is, fully in the cabinet, asshown in Fig. 4, it will be apparent that the lower peripheries of therollers I6 and I! which project through the slots I50 and He in theflange 9 are in rolling engagement with the upper roller bearing facesof the lower flanges 3 of the case channel C. Also, the flanges I of thedrawer rlmners E are in engagement with the upper peripheries of therollers I6 and I I. The forward travelling rollers I3 of each suspensionmember are located at the rear ends of their guides and their bottomperipheries have a tractive engagement with the upper faces of the lowerflanges l of the suspension members 11 and also, have tractivesupporting engagement at their upper peripheries with the bottom facesof the flanges 1 of the drawer runners. The intermediate travellingrollers II of each suspension member are normally at the rear ends oftheir guides and have their lower peripheries in tractive engagementwith the upper faces of the flanges I of the drawer runners while theirupper peripheries are in tractive engagement with the lower faces of theupper flanges II of the individual suspension members or arms. The rearpair of rollers I5 are at the forward ends of their guides and travelbetween the tops of said flanges I II and the lower faces of the upperroller bearing flanges 2 of the case channels. As the drawer B ismanually pulled outwardly of the cabinet A. the rollers I3 and I4advance in their guides while rollers I5 retreat (Fig. 1) and the entiresuspension D is propelled outwardly of the casing by the sets of rollersI5I| at substantially half thespeed of the movement of the drawer B onrollers I3, I4, and I5. When the drawer is fully pulled out of thecabinet, the suspension members 4 will rigidly support the drawerbecause substantially the rear half thereof is still within the limitsof the case channels Cand cannot fulcrum downwardly because the rearpair of rollers I5 between parts 2 and III prevent such action. Therelative differential and progressive movement between the drawer B andthe suspension D. is due to the diflerent diameters of the pairs oftravelling rollers I3, is and I5 and the pairs of rollers It and IIwhich are relatively fixed horizontally. That is to say, the saidrollers I5 and I1 being of larger diameter than the rollers I3, I4 andI5 and bearing on the lower flange I of the case channel C, cause thecarriage or suspension D to move out of the casing relatively slowerthan they drawer B moves relative to the suspension members It," becausethe travelling rollers I 3, ll and ID of relatively small diameterpermit the drawer to move out faster than the carriage.

The adaptation of the invention above described to wood or plastic orglass or other suitable material or combinations of construction isshown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the cabinet A2 having the crosspieces A3 at the front thereof, is provided with the case channels Cwhich consist of the wood members 2I and 22 suitably spaced to provide achannel therebetween. The drawer B is slidably mounted in the drawercabinet or case by the suspension D which in turn slidably supports thedrawer runners E each including the onset flange la. The individualsuspension members d' are connected by the transverse members IIa and I2d and the inner faces of each of said members d are provided with theforward, intermediate, andrear travelling rollers I3m, I40: and I5a.Also the inner faces of the suspension members d are provided with thesuspension feeding rollers IIia: and I 1.1: which are relatively fixedor held against travelling movement in said suspension members. Thetravelling rollers I3:c, I43: and I5: are mounted in grooves or recessesin the suspension members d. All of the rollers in Fig. 2 perform thesame functions in the same manner, with reference to the upper and lowerroller bearing members 2| and 22 of the case channel C and the flangesIa of the drawer runners, as their counterparts described in Fig. l.

The upper members 2I of the case members C (Fig. 2) are provided withstops 23 which engage with abutments 24 onthe top of each of thesuspension members d of the carriage to thus limit the outward movementof the carriage relative to the cabinet A2. The bottom of the drawer Bcarries the stops 25 which are adapted to engage with the inner edge ofthe transverse member Ila of the entire suspension D to limit theoutward movement of the drawer B relative to the suspension. It willthus be apparent that the arrangement of stops and abutments in Fig. 2is somewhat different from that in Fig. 1. In the latter figure, theoutward movement of the carrlage or suspension is stopped relative tothe cabinet by the abutments I8 on the carriage engaging with thetransverse members A of the cabinet whereas in Fig. 2 the outwardmovement of the carriage relative to the cabinet is limited by the stops23 on the case channels and the abutments 24 on the suspension members dof the carriage. In Fig. 1 the outward limit of the drawer B is checkedrelative to the members 8 of the carriage D by the engagement of thestops I9 on the members d engaging the abutments 20 carried by thedrawer sides. In Fig. 2, however, the outward limit of the drawer B isshown as checked by the stops 25 on the drawer bottom engaging with thetransverse member Ila on the carriage.

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 2 is as follows:

When the drawer B is fully in the cabinet A2, the flanges Ia of thedrawer runners E have their underfaces resting on the rollers I 32:, Himand I'Ix. The upper faces of the flanges Ia are in tractive engagementwith the rollers :r. As the drawer is pulled outwardly the rollers I3a:,Ida: and I511: which are of smaller diameter than the rollers I6zc andIla; permit of the drawer being pulled out of the cabinet approximatelytwice as fast as the rollers I62: and I la: will feed the carriage Drelative to the bottom member 22 of the case channel C.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that in both embodiments of theinvention the distinguishing characteristic is the provision of asuspension which carries all of the rollers, namely, spaced pairs oflarge relatively fixed rollers having an engagement with the drawerrunners and case channels, and a plurality of travelling rollers mountedin the carriage and slidably supporting the drawer relative to thecarriage so that it may move faster out of the cabinet than thecarriage. The advantage of the arrangement is that its desirablefeatures may be incorporated either in steel or wood, metal, plastic,glass, compositions or combinations of suitable material while at thesame time preserving all of the advantages of a strong and easilyoperated suspension. In that connection it will be apparent that withrespect to the case channels C and 0', both present upper and lowerroller bearing faces for the rollers of the suspension. Also, while inthe case of the metal embodiment, the rollers, I3, I4, l5, are held inguides, formed by metallic plates fashioned or bent to form cages in thewood, plastic, glass or other form of construction the same result isobtained by grooving or recessing the sides of the suspension members,and/or in using metal strips as retainers.

It may also be pointed out that all of the several pairs or sets ofrollers, more or less, are

free rollingin the sense that none of them have fixed axle pinions orstuds. With the relatively long paths of travel, roller tread and trackwear are reduced or, in other words, all wear is distributed over agreater surface area. Also, it may be pointed out that while the rollersI8 and I1 are relatively fixed in a horizontal direction,

they are free to move vertically and hence have no fixed axle pinion.Their vertical movement, in addition to rolling, insures constantcontact of rollers I3 and I4 with the drawer runners E.

Without further description, it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art. and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a drawer suspension for filing cabinets and the like, a casinghaving a drawer-accommodating space, upper and lower forwardly andrearwardly extending track members carried by said casing at each sideof the drawer-accommodating space therein, a drawer, a runner carried bysaid drawer at each side thereof and extending longitudinally relativelythereto, a pair of elongated suspension members free with respect tosaid track members and said runners and disposed at opposite sides ofthe drawer, respectively, and between the related upper and lower trackmembers, respectively, each suspension member including an upper and alower track element, a forward roller, a rear roller and an intermediateroller carried by each suspension member, means retaining said front andrear rollers in assembly with said suspension members for free travelingmovement longitudinally with respect thereto, each forward roller beinginterposed between and being rollable upon the lower track element ofthe related suspension member and the related drawer runner, each rearroller being interposed between and being rollable upon the relatedupper track member of the casing and the upper track elementof therelated suspension member,

each intermediate roller being interposed between and being roilableupon the upper track element ottherelatedsuspensionmemberandtherelateddrawer runner, and other rollers carried by each suspension memberrearwardly of the forward roller carried thereby and immovablelongitudinally with respect thereto and interposed between and reliableupon the related drawer runner and the related lower track member of thecasing, each intermediate roller including a trunnion, and meansconnected to each suspension member and cooperating with the trunnion oithe related intermediate roller to retain the latter assembled with thesuspension member for tree traveling movement longitudinally withrespect thereto.

2. In a drawer suspension for filing cabinets and the like, a casinghaving a drawer-accommodating space, upper and lower forwardly andrearwardly extending track members carried by said casing at each sideof the drawer-accommodating space therein, a drawer. a runner carried bysaid drawer at each side thereof and extending longitudinally relativelythereto, a pair of elongated suspension members free with respect tosaid track members and said runners and disposed at opposite sides orthe drawer, respectively. and between the related upper and lower trackmembers, respectively, each suspension assays? member including an upperand a lower track element, a forward roller, a rear rollerand an fintermediate roller carried by each suspension member, means retainingsaid front and rear rollers in assembly with said suspension members forfree traveling movement, longitudinally with respect thereto, eachforward roller being interposed between and being rollable upon thelower track element 01 the related suspension member and the relateddrawer runner, each rear roller being interposed between and beingrollable upon the related upper track member of the casing and the uppertrack element of the related suspension member, each intermediate rollerbeing interposed between and being rollable upon the upper track elementof the related suspension member and the related drawer runner, andother rollers carried by each suspension member rearwardly of theforward roller carried thereby and immovable longitudinally with respectthereto and interposed between and rollable upon the related drawerrunner and the related lower track member of the casing, and meansconnected to each suspension member and cooperating with the relatedintermediate roller to retain the latter permanently assembled with thesuspension member for free longitudinal traveling movement relativethereto.

CLARENCE W. STRAUBEL

